Railroad-signal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. R. PARK.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

No. 324,411. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. R. PARK.y RAILROAD SIGNAL.

#ETZTHV N4 PETERS. Phamunhugnph l VUNITED STATES PATENT @ENCEe JAMES R.PARK, OF LAVERGN E, TENNESSEE.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,411, dated August18, 1885. v

Application filed April 30,1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs R. PARK, of Lavergne, in the county ofRutherford and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Railroad-Signals; and I dohereby declare therfollowing tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in railroad-signals, the objectbeing to provide a device of this character which shall be lsimple inconstruction, which shall be capable of being easily and readilyhandled, and which shall be durable and efficient in use; and with theseends in view my invention consists in certain details of constructionand combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in per# spective of my improvedsignal. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in section and partly in plan, taken on the linex 0r of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a rear view.

A represents the upright standard, constructed, if desired, of one pieceof material, and of any suitable height, to the top of which is securedthe horizontal box or casing B.

Through the support A and casing B extends the horizontal shaft C,provided midway between the uprightA and the end of the casing B with agear, D, and also provided on the end which extends beyond the casing Bwith a drum, E. On the opposite end of this shaft is secured a doublepulley, F, to which is secured the rope or chain a, carrying a weight,I), and also the rope or chain c, which extends down near to the groundor within easy reach f of the operator, said ropes or chains beingsecured on opposite sides of the pulley and passing through'guides d,secured to the rear of the support A, in order to keep them in positionand guide them in their operation. When the Weight?) is lowered, thechain c'will be wound up, and when the chain c is pulled down the weightwill be raised.

To the drum E is secured a iiag, G, which,

when the chain c is pulled down, is wound upon the drum, and when theweightb is lowered is caused by the revolving of the shaft G to unwindand lower. /Vhen the flag is wound up, it is hidden from view by meansof a shield, H, adapted to fit over the drum and held in position bymeans of the depending guides I, the upper ends of which pass throughthe guides f, one of which is secured to the outer end of the casing Band the other to the shield H, the latter being curved, as shown in thedrawings. In these guides I are adapted to move the ends of the metalrod K, secured in the lower ends of the flag, and adapted to keep thelatter in proper position, the said rod K being provided near its endswith iiange c,

vadapted to prevent the rod from coming out of the guides I.

` M is a vframe-piece, moving between the grooved strips or guides J,secured to the upright A, to which piece M are secured the horizontalpiece N and the inclined piece or brace Q, which latter is also securedto the outer end of the piece N, and assists in supporting the same.

Tol the horizontal piece N is rigidly secured the table or platform P,to which is removably secured the base or reservoir g of the lamp. Tothe base or reservoir g of the lamp are secured the four uprights h,connected near the tops and held in position by the cover B.

Through the cover R passes the vertical shaft S, to the lower end ofwhich is secured the lamp-casing T, and provided with a shoulder, 7c,adapted to strike the bearing Z, secured to the cover R, and adapted tohold the said casing T in suspension between the base g and said coverR, and allow the casing to be rotated. This casing consists,essentially, of a rectangular metallic frame provided ondiametrically-opposite sides with red kor other colored glass faces, andon the two remaining sides with white glass faces. The base or reservoir y of the lamp is provided with anfup- Wardly-extending circularange, m,caround which fits a downwardly-extending flange, n, formed onthe lower end of the lampcasing, said iianges being adapted to keep theWind from entering the lamp. The cover R is also provided with adownwardly-extending circular ilange, o, fitting around anupwardlyextending flange, j), formed on the upper end of the lamp-casingand performing the saine function as the flanges lm n..

It will now be seen that by this construction and arrangement of partsthe casing may be revolved independent of the top and base, and bysecuring the lights and reliectors to the base or oil-reservoir gthelamp-casing may be turned without disturbing any other portion of thedevice.

To the horizontal piece N, or any other suitable point, is secured arope or chain, fr, adapted to pass over a pulley, s, secured to theupright support A, and down the rear side of said support to a drum orwindlass, U, sccured to the support and operated by a crank, f. To thiswiudlass is also secured a chain or rope, u, carrying a weight, t,adapted to counterbalancc the weight of the lamp and facilitate theraising and lowering of the same.

Vhen the crank tis tnrnedin one direction, the weight yv will be loweredand the rope or chain r wound around the windlass U, andthe lamp therebyraised. If the crank is turned in the opposite direction, the lamp willbe lowered and the weight e raised. In the present instance I have showntwo pulleys, s and s', over which the chain or rope r passes; but if thesupport A is made solid the latter pul ley may be dispensed with.

To the extension or casing B are secured the four depending arms V, thelower ends of which are bent at right angles and each provided with ahole adapted, when the lamp is raised, to receive the ends of the postsIt and assist in keeping thelamp in position,a ratchet, fr, secured tothe end of the windlass, and pawl y, secured to the support A, beingadapted to hold the lamp in any desired adjustment.

To the casing B is secured the bearing NV, through which passes theshaft X, the upper end ot' which is provided with a gear-wheel, Y,adapted to mesh with the gear D 011 the shaft C, the lower end beingprovided with the square shoulder Z, adapted, when the lamp is raised,to iit in the socket t', formed in the upper end ofthe shaft S.

\Vhen the lamp is in its raised position and the chain c or a is pulleddown, the shaft C will be turned, and, through the intervention of thegears D Y and the shafts S and X, rotate the lamp, at the same timeraising or lowering the flag, as `before described. If, however, thelamp should be in its lowered position, the rotation of the shaft Cwould only operate the flag.

By slightly lowering the weight b the lamp may be turned quarter-wayround, thus exposing to the side either the white or red glass of whichthe lamp is composed without bringing the flag to view the shield Hextending downwardly a suitable distance to hide it. One of said glassesis hinged, forming a door.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I am enabled to operate both theflag and the lampcasing by a single shaft and shaftoperating mechanism.As the fiag is for use during the daytime and the lamp at night, thereis no necessity for gearing the parts so as to present the colored glassand the flag at the same time; but if it is so desired, by simplyemploy- .ing gear-wheels between the shafts C and X of such relativesize that the flag will be unfurled while the larnp-casing is making aqnarterturn, and so constructing the connection Z that the latter willonly join or come together when the parts are in a predeterminedposition, this end can be accomplished.

NVhen reflectors SAl are employed, they are preferably secured to thecentral portion of the base or reservoir g, and the burnel's S" placedoutside of same.

By this improved construction the 'flag and lamp may be operated fromthe ground and the use of ladders obviated. Again, when it is desired tolight or clean the lamp, itis simply lowered within easy reach of aperson on the ground, being much more convenient than transporting aladder to and from the lamp.

I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to theexact construction shown and described, but consider myself at libertyto make sach changes as fall within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a railroad-si gnal, the combination,with a standard having aguideway i n one face thereof, a support adapted to move vertically insaid guidcway, a lamp seated onv said support, a rotating casingsurrounding the lamp, a vertical shaft rigidly secured to the casing,and devices for vertically elevating the support, of a horizontal shaftjournaled in the upper end of the standard, devices for rotating thehorizontal shaft, and a vertical shaft geared with thehori- Zontal shaftand adapted to engage the vertical shaft of the lampcasing,substantially as set forth.

2. In a railroad-signal, the combination, with alamp-support,lamp,andlamp-casing, a drum having a flag thereon, and a horizontalshaft for winding and unwinding the flag and rotating the lamp-casing,of a rope or chain secured to the lamp-support and passing upwardly overa pulley, and secured at its lower end to a windingldrum, and acounter-balance suspended from said drum, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a base and top respectively p rovidcd withupwardly and downwardly projecting flanges, of a lamp-casing snspendedbetween the base and top, and provided with iianges iitting within oraround said former flanges, and means for rotating said casing,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a support, of a box or casing secured to thetop thereof, a

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shaft passing through the latter, and provided In testimony whereof Ihave signed this specion one end with a flag and on the othe1` withcation in the presence of two subscribing Wita pulley, means for turningthe shaft and Windnesses.

ing or unWindngv the ag, guides for the flag JAMES R. PARK. to move in,and a shield secured to the guides, Witnesses: and adapted, when theflag is wound up, to W. A. GOODMAN,

conceal the same, substantially as set forth. S. H. WALKER.

